Vacation Home Site Tries To Boost Renter Protections

Tired of the growing number of hidden baggage fees, seat upgrades and meal costs the airlines keep springing on us? Well, the U.S. Department of Transportation has vowed to put an end to the endless surprises. Starting Jan. 24, the DOT is putting into effect a new rule whereby all taxes and fees will have to be included in the advertised airfare. Specifically, the DOT is requiring all fees for optional aviation services be prominently displayed on carriers' websites. Already, some carriers and travel companies are starting to display their fees and taxes upfront in advance of the DOT's deadline. MLT Vacations, for instance, which operates United Vacations, Delta Vacations, Air France Holidays and Alitalia Vacations, this week started including all hotel and flight taxes and fees it its pricing, ahead of the full fare advertising requirements. Previously, MLT noted all of the taxes and fees separately in the terms and conditions section of each advertised special. MLT calls its new way of displaying its prices "No-Surprise Pricing." "Technically, our prices won't increase because we are only adding in taxes and fees what would have been added further down the booking path," explained Bryan Olson, director of revenue and distribution programs at MLT. However, he noted that specials and promotions "will appear higher than our competitors' because many of them have not yet updated their pricing to fit the DOT’s full fare requirement." Lufthansa has also started including taxes and fees in its fare prices in response to customer feedback. "The shift comes in response to recent conversations with customers through various social media channels," Lufthansa said in a statement. The message, according to the airline was "that the public wants immediate access to final ticket prices when researching fares." "Travelers want the bottom line figure spelled out for them upfront," Juergen Siebenrock, vice president for Lufthansa’s Americas division, said in a statement. Doubtful few flyers would disagree with that. More from Budget Travel: Hotels: What on Earth Are "Tax Recovery Charges?" Should Airlines Have to Allow One Free Checked Bag By Law? Are holiday sweaters the new TSA target?

Unlike many other countries (think those ads you often see for Mexico, India or Thailand), the United States has for a long time lacked a unified tourism marketing strategy to represent our country elsewhere. But there's a new push to try to change that. Earlier this month, a new name, logo and campaign to market the United States to visitors the world over was unveiled as Brand USA, "America's first-ever global consumer brand." Brand USA will launch its first official advertising and marketing campaign in March of next year with the aim of promoting and increasing international travel to the United States to drive job creation and economic growth. It was initially established as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in response to the Travel Promotion Act, federal legislation passed in March 2010. According to Brand USA, the logo was created to be "fresh, welcoming and inclusive," and to remind the world of the "awesome possibilities" here. DiscoverAmerica.com is Brand USA's official consumer website. "What is so compelling about the United States is that no one thing can explain who we are as a nation," said Brand USA Chief Marketing Officer Chris Perkins. Brand USA is a Washington, D.C.-based private corporation overseen by the Commerce Department and Congress. The program is funded through a combination of private sector investment, which represents at least half the program's budget, and funds collected by the Department of Homeland Security for the visa waiver program. International travel to the United States supported 1.8 million jobs in 2010, and the average overseas visitor to the U.S. spends $4,000 per trip, according to Brand USA. What kind of message do you think Brand USA should send to foreigners about our country? About why they should visit? And who we are? More from Budget Travel: Does the DOT Tarmac Delay Fine Help Consumers? New Site Advises on How Not to Be a "Tourist" Mexico’s New Tourism Campaign: Are You Convinced?

The first penalty under the tarmac delay rule was issued this week by the The U.S. Department of Transportation, the agency fining American Eagle a whopping $900,000. The move promptly launched a debate on whether such fines might actually hurt consumers. At issue is whether airlines will cancel more flights to delay large tarmac delay penalties. The rule, which took effect in April 2010, allows the DOT to fine carriers as much as $27,500 per passenger for delays on the tarmac of more than three hours. In the case of American Eagle, 608 passengers on 15 planes arriving at Chicago's O'Hare, amid thunderstorms on May 29, were cooped up beyond the limit—45 minutes beyond in one case. The fine reflects a settlement between the carrier and DOT. "A total of $650,000 must be paid within 30 days, and up to $250,000 can be credited for refunds, vouchers, and frequent flyer mile awards provided to the passengers on the 15 flights on May 29, as well as to passengers on future flights that experience lengthy tarmac delays of less than three hours," the DOT said. For its part, American Eagle said it apologized to passengers on the delayed Chicago flights and provided either travel vouchers or frequent flyer program mileage credit. The carrier also said it had a new plan in place to avoid such tarmac delays in the future. The sizeable fine—the largest penalty to be paid by an airline in a civil protection case not involving civil rights — would appear a victory for consumers, and that's what DOT officials are touting. “We put the tarmac rule in place to protect passengers, and we take any violation very seriously,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in announcing the fine. "We will work to ensure that airlines and airports coordinate their resources and plans to avoid keeping passengers delayed on the tarmac.” Transportation officials have credited the threat of fines with dramatically reducing tarmac delays—from 693 delays of more than three hours during the 12 months before the new rule took effect to just 20 between May 2010 and April 2011. Except analysts and some in the airline industry are saying cancellations are one reason for the reduction, and that airlines will only cancel more flights under threat of big fines. "If there's a 20 percent chance of this happening, an airline will cancel," airline analyst Michael Boyd told the Associated Press. Ken Quinn, a former Federal Aviation Administration chief counsel who now represents airlines, told AP the tarmac rule will turn out to be inadvertently "anti-consumer," for the cancelation reason. But in a press release issued yesterday, the consumer group FlyerRights charged the airline industry was resorting to "scare tactics" in an attempt to thwart the reforms. "The purpose for the new passenger protections, including the fines, is to create incentives for the airlines to treat passengers more fairly, not give them an excuse to punish their customers further," said Kate Hanni, Kate Hanni, FlyersRights founder and Executive Director. "Hopefully the airlines focus their energy to comply with the new DOT rules, rather than thwart them." The DOT is completing a comprehensive study regarding the impact of the passenger protections, Hanni added. The passenger-focused group also called the $900,000 fine a "slap on the wrist." Meanwhile, all this comes as the feds are also looking into possible fines for tarmac delays last month during a freak Northeast snowstorm. Passengers on JetBlue and American flights sat for hours on the tarmac at snow-covered Bradley International Airport in Connecticut—those on one flight trapped on the plane for more than seven hours despite pleas by the captain to airport officials. More from Budget Travel: How Far Should the DOT Go to Protect Travelers? New Day for Fliers Rights Stuck on the Tarmac? How Long is Too Long

Some of the worst flooding in decades has gripped Southeast Asia, raising concerns about travel to the region as waters continued to surge on Wednesday, threatening Bangkok and other popular destinations. The severe flooding caused by an abnormally heavy rainy season has already left more than 700 dead in Cambodia and Thailand, according to the United Nations. Additionally, in Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam, homes, crops and vital infrastructure have been destroyed and millions of people living in low-lying areas remain vulnerable to further destruction, Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs at the UN Development Programme, Valerie Amos, said on Tuesday. While the Tourism Authority of Thailand is reporting that major tourist destinations such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, and southern provinces in Thailand are experiencing normal weather conditions, The New York Times on Wednesday reported that "thousands of volunteers and soldiers battled to strengthen Bangkok's flood defenses as water surged to the edges of the city." Indeed, Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra acknowledged Wednesday that the country's flood crisis has overwhelmed her government, the Associated Press reported. The historic city of Ayutthaya, a Unesco World Heritage site about 62 miles north of Bangkok, one of the hardest hit areas, has now been submerged for two weeks, according to news reports. "It's been a tough last month here in Cambodia and throughout Southeast Asia," said Andrea Ross of Journeys Within. Journeys Within is a Siem Reap, Cambodia-based tour operator that specializes in travel throughout Southeast Asia. "Here in Cambodia the temples have stayed above the flooding and we have been able to keep touring as planned for most of our tours," said Ross. "In Thailand we have had to make some adjustments, especially with the flooding of Ayutthaya. With that said, we have only adjusted tours and have not cancelled any tours or received any cancellations." According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the floods are mainly affecting the provinces in central Thailand and a few provinces in the north and northeast. All airports in Thailand, including Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, are still open and are operating as per usual. "We are hoping that as November draws closer and rainy season comes to an end, we will see the waters receding and things returning to normal," said Ross. "With that said, we know that the toll on families and communities has been huge and the loss of crops will mean that the following harvest could mean a lack of food in the region." More from Budget Travel: Metered moto-taxis Cambodia's Comeback A flood of new ships to sail the Mekong